[kc5fm]

Avoid

Has anyone here considered that in an emergency situation they may have to sleep in their car or live in it, what kind of measures can you take to prepare your car's interior for this?

Do you really want to sleep in the car? Would not a warm Red Cross shelter be better? Alternatively, wouldn't you rather sleep in a motel room?

Personally, my evacuation plan does NOT include sleeping in a car. My plan involves sleeping in a house with a relative or sleeping in a motel room.

 

[kc5fm]

No FEMA concentration camps

Yea we all seen how that worked out after Katrina. I have lived in my car already (86 Subaru wagon) I would rather take my chances in my car then be controlled by FEMA. I always slept in out of the way places where not many could see me and had a pistol within my reach in case someone would try anything. Survival means being able to adapt to any situation and motel rooms aren't always available.

OH ... YEAH ... Katrina. The disaster that went wrong because people decided to not follow the plan that was drilled months before.

I was at the Oklahoma answer to Katrina. We received the guests and treated them, I think, respectfully. Your neighbors who chose to come stay in our motels were also treated with respect.

My friend, if you go FAR enough, motel rooms are available. During Ike, we had a shelter open in Oklahoma City. There were still motel rooms available.

Since you want to use Katrina, I'll use the shelters, hundreds of them, that were operated in disasters, including the June 5 wind storm, the Oklahoma flood, and a host of other events. Seems people forget the good things done for them and want to remember Katrina.

Shelters are short term solutions. If the County is declared for Individual Assistance, then FEMA may pay the cost of your motel room. If your Federal government does not, your insurance company may. See your insurance agent to be sure.

It should be no surprise to anyone, if the President declares a jurisdiction a disaster. All FEMA declarations are published.

Again, my family plan is to evacuate to family or motel. I'll be keeping receipts along the way.

 

[kc5fm]

American Red Cross

What happens if no motels have any vacancy and you cant drive to a relatives house??

I'd say this is when you call 211, if available in your area, to arrange transportation to an American Red Cross shelter in your area staffed by volunteers, probably not from your area.

Seriously, though, I have discussed preplanning evacuations, including the mention of Kayak to help with finding pet-friendly motels.

Why can't you drive to a relative's house? If you lack a vehicle, preplan now how you can obtain one. Will the used car lot let you test drive one? What are the schools doing with their busses? Either one is going to have a major loss during a disaster. Insurance will be happy to NOT pay the cost. If you don't return the car, then shelter is available at the County Jail.

How about renting a car?

As a reminder from another post, home owners' and renters' insurance may cover the cost of your evacuation, ex. motel room, etc. Check with your insurance agent to get the facts.

IMO, the only reason to sleep in a car is because one wants to sleep in a car. There are too many alternatives, including the Red Cross shelter.

 

[kc5fm]

Gasoline

+1 I remember the gas shortages in Houston when they tried to evacuate.
Might not be able to get to a shelter or family member.

Does not this speak to planning?

Personally, I do not drive a car that has less than a 1/2 tank of gas in it. That is sufficient fuel to get me over two hours away from where I am. With Tom-Tom, I can drive section roads, if I must, to bug out. Tom-Tom will help me find a gas station within range when the low gas light glows.

Except for Come Quickly, Lord Jesus, there's not going to be a natural disaster that two hours of fuel won't get me out. Living through two Federally-declared winter storms and driving through one of them proved this right.

Breaking down in a third winter storm proved the value in a membership in GM Motor Club . There's also AAA. Many cellphone carriers offer roadside assistance as well.

The only way one can not get to relatives and friends is one does (1) does not have a car or (2) lacks the financial resources to make the trek.

The government's answer to both of those is to provide a ride to a shelter. That ride may be on a bus from NOLA to OK. The passengers that came to Oklahoma from Katrina were on a bus that rarely stopped. When it did stop, those on board had very little money. One store's shelves were emptied. I assume the Government paid for that.

The passengers that came this year saw the trip a little better organized. I did not hear of many difficulties.

The shelter will be a managed shelter complete with three meals, a cot, and rules. Some people can't take all three at once. People got arrested for breaking the law, just like they would get arrested for breaking the law back home. Through all that Oklahoma tends to get more compliments than complaints.

Some people don't like the ride or the hospitality. I am truly sorry for that.

The discomfort can be minimized by planning now what one will do when (not IF) an emergency or disaster strikes.

In the Come Quickly, Lord Jesus event, my ride and shelter is assured, but not by the Government.

Lloyd, KC5FM

Views expressed in this note are personal thoughts, not reflective of any employer, volunteer group, or other organization with which I have a relationship.

 

[kc5fm]

Planning

KC5FM - In Red Rocker's defense, some people leaving Houston from Hurricane Rita were stuck in traffic for 10-12 hours and only covered a few dozen miles. Many burned a whole tank of gas idling. It still comes down to planning, when you consider that they should have left earlier, but hundreds of people ran out of gas along I45 and made traffic worse. An important tip might be to have an out of the way escape route if you live in an area like that.

Thank you. You are correct in your recollection of the Hurricane Rita experience.

That is why it has been pointed out, in another post, that one should have a route planned and a way of determining an alternate route, just as you have reinforced so well now.

Also, if memory serves, from this same experience, the Government developed plans to help stranded motorists who may have run out of gas.

As for defending Red Rocker, I apologize for anything in my post that would be considered attacking. It is not my intent to offend anyone.

My goal here is to present a reasonable response to emergency and disaster situations. As one emergency manager put it, "We go crazy so you don't have to".

Have a Blessed Week!